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Broker Education and Certification Organizations Collaborate

We have often used this space to highlight the continuing education good brokers undertake and the various certifications they strive for and hold. We have shared pieces of the code of ethics that Certified Professional Yacht Broker-approved yacht salespeople adhere to, and we have published portions of the exam they must pass to get certified. Now, we can share news that two of the important organizations in the yacht broker arena have combined forces to create even better yacht salespeople. The Yacht Brokers Association of America and the Yacht Broker Institute saw the opportunity to improve broker education and seized it. Here is the press release announcing the collaboration.

The Yacht Brokers Association of America (YBAA) and the Yacht Broker Institute LLC (YBI) have signed a cooperative agreement to mutually support the broker education and professional certification efforts as provided by each organization.

YBAA manages the North American Certified Professional Yacht Broker program (CPYB), which is the industry standard for recognizing qualified yacht sales professionals who have met strict program requirements and have successfully completed a three-hour examination. The CPYB program is cooperatively provided by the seven industry associations throughout Canada and the U.S.: YBAA, FYBA, CYBA, GCYBA, NYBA, BCYBA and Boating Ontario Dealers. Qualified yacht sales professionals are eligible to take the CPYB exam after three years as an active yacht sales professional, and must recertify every three years thereafter.

The Yacht Broker Institute offers an online course for individuals seeking to join the yacht brokerage industry. “Essentials and Fundamentals of Yacht Brokerage” is a comprehensive course that teaches all aspects of the business, to dramatically help accelerate their start in brokerage sales. An additional course is also available for professional administrative assistants, to learn the ins and outs of the brokerage sales profession, to be able to better support a brokerage office.

According to YBAA executive director Vin Petrella, “The YBAA/YBI agreement provides a comprehensive process for encouraging new entrants to the profession with sound educational support, while also offering brokers the opportunity to advance their professional skills and industry recognition. We anticipate that the combined efforts of YBAA and YBI will greatly assist our industry to attract and maintain a qualified, professional workforce in the coming years.”

“We are very excited about this mutually beneficial agreement,” said Kevin Ralph, partner in YBI, “as it helps promote a uniform methodology, along with ethics and codes of conduct to further the yacht sales profession. There is a need for this type of training, both from people wishing to enter and advance within the field, as well as companies wishing to hire people who understand the idiosyncrasies of professional yacht sales.”